Next Tuesday is Valentine’s Day, and no better way to impress your loved ones with a few fun and interesting facts about this celebration of love and relationships.

• In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine. They would wear this name pinned onto their sleeves for one week for everyone to see. This was the origin of the expression "to wear your heart on your sleeve."
• Physicians of the 1800's commonly advised their patients to eat chocolate to calm their pining for lost love.
• More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day.
• Over $1 billion worth of chocolate is purchased for Valentine's Day in the U.S.
• 73% of people who buy flowers for Valentine's Day are men, while only 27 percent are women.
• Red roses are considered the flower of love because the color red stands for strong romantic feelings.
• 189 million stems of roses are sold in the U.S. on Valentine's Day.
• Approximately one billion Valentines are sent out worldwide each year according to estimates by the U.S. Greeting Card Association. 
• In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Australia, Denmark, and Italy.
• About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine's Day gifts to their pets.
• In the US, 64 percent of men do not make plans in advance for a romantic Valentine's Day with their sweethearts.